Recommendation 35

The Government should set out a clear plan to ensure that all interpreters in the courts are qualified up to a level 6 standard wherever this qualification is available in a language, or an alternative appropriate qualification for rarer languages where there is not a formal qualification. The plan should include time-bound milestones and steps to develop qualifications in partnership with relevant stakeholders, while ensuring the workforce remains at a sustainable level. Alongside this, the Government should ensure the new contract can be adjusted to require level 6 qualifications for all work in the courts, and should introduce this requirement once an appropriate number of level 6 qualified interpreters are on the register. We request that the MOJ writes to the Committee providing progress updates every six months following the publication of the Government’s response to this report.